What is Outsideways?

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It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to post on here! So sorry! Having a new(ish) baby really puts you into the "wing it" category at times. This doesn't mean life hasn't been awesome, it just means I'm a slacker and haven't written about it. We've had a lot of MICRO adventures and even had the opportunity to take our daughter on her first camping trip a couple weeks ago. It went great and other than a little early morning crying, we couldn't have asked for a better time! There have been a handful of weekend hikes, but nothing outrageous.
The other trip that stands out was last weekend. We have been trying to catch this amazing waterfall but with no luck. It's a wet weather falls which means that unless the ground is super saturated, you probably won't get to see it flowing. Lucky for us, we have gotten a TON of rain this spring. So we got up early on a rainy Saturday, loaded up the rain jackets and daypacks and went for it! Boy are we glad we did! It was AMAZING! Probably our favorite waterfall hike to date! Powerful, and peaceful all at the same time... truly awe inspiring...
I am going to attempt to do better now that things have calmed down some at keeping up with writing here. See ya soon!

Had the opportunity to explore a new trail system that the city opened today! It was a brisk 40 degrees with a slight wind chill factor but with a jacket it was perfect hiking weather! We bundled up Emery June in her fleece onesie, and hit the trail!
We only hiked 2-3 miles but man did it feel good! The stark difference in the forest between winter and summer is just amazing. You can see and hear all new things, and the whole forest just has a different feel to it. We were only passed by a mountain biker early on so the solitude on the trail was welcomed too!
Hearing squirrels, and deer and birds is a refreshing reminder that there's more than TV and cell phones (as I type this on my iPhone...).
We are hoping to put in lots more winter miles and continue to teach Emery as much as we can to love the outdoors.

It's been a bit since I've had the opportunity to post on here, but I feel like we are really getting the hang of this parenting thing (at least for this week...).
We've had the opportunity to go on a handful of "micro-adventures" as a family and have discovered that our daughter really loves being outside.
Obviously this is encouraging as parents, and warrants getting outside more and more!

So if I can offer anything to new parents it's this... YOU CAN DO IT! You just have to get creative and have lots of patience. It's all worth it in the end. :)

Having a young baby and being outdoorsy can be a hard mix... forunately it's forced us to get creative with our hiking and we have found some really beautiful places much closer than we thought!
This was called Blowing Springs loop and it's only a few minutes from our home!

Having a new baby, life tends to get crazy.
We, however, have tried our very best to keep being outside a priority for our family. We want to raise our daughter to love being outside, and to WANT to be outside.
So far, at 6 weeks old, we've been on 5 hikes. All have been a little bit longer than the previous. We are up to 6 miles.
I feel like if I can instill a love for the outdoors and people and not for "stuff", we will be headed in the right direction in this crazy world...
The picture is from our first hike as a family. I was doing some product testing for sandals that I wouldn't normally wear, but actually kind of enjoyed testing them.

First Hike with our newest addition!
We swaddled Emery June Browning up in her carrier and journeyed to Hobbs State Park to hike the Shaddox Hollow Trail. It is only a 1.5 mile loop but we thought we'd start small and work our way up!
Here's to lots of new adventures with our sweet little girl!

Some days I feel completely overwhelmed with the outdoor world.
There are so many "new and improved" things that pop into the market every. single. day. It could be just me, and maybe I am just easily distracted or have a terrible attention span... both are probably true, but I'd like to think I'm not the only one.

I find myself wanting to try the newest gadget or backpack or headlamp, or to buy the newest pair of shoes... the list goes on and on. And I think it forever will. I always have to come back to the fact that people enjoyed the outdoors just like us for hundreds of years before all the fancy gear we have now. And while I truly believe that a lot of those things help us enjoy nature more, I have to remind myself constantly that it's just about the stuff...

I want so desperately to live a minimal life, and with a little girl on the way, I want to teach her to live minimally. That she doesn't need lots of "stuff" to enjoy being outside.
Part of the reason I choose to backpack and hike in minimal footwear is because it's just simpler. Less junk to get in the way of me feeling my surroundings. I feel more connected. I've lightened my gear enough that I feel like I can travel lots of miles without feel "weighed down".

This is definitely not a post of complaint or "oh feel bad for me", but rather just a window into my own life and world. I struggle with materialism, and don't want to. I want to live with as little as possible. Maybe your different? Maybe not? Either way is fine.

I chose the cover picture for this post because looking at it gives me peace... my wife and two dogs watching a beautiful sunset. It's something so simple, yet so enjoyable. It reminds me that the simplest and most enjoyable things in life don't have to cost money, and some of the most amazing adventures don't require the fanciest, most high-tech gear... sometimes just being with the people you love and taking in the creation around you makes it all worth it...

Sometimes I have to remind myself to just slow down, simplify, and enjoy where I'm at...

This is an abandoned moonshiner's "cabin" built into the side of the cliff. Directly to the right of this photo is a small, but flowing waterfall...making this location perfect to hideout and make shine! Very few people know the whereabouts of this special spot. :)

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When I am not working with technology, I can often be found in the backcountry; always happiest in the presence of mountains. In 2014 I successfully completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail with my three kids. I ...

Naturalist, writer, social media, homeschooler, backpacker, cross-country skier. Currently in Montana and planning a year-long European adventure. Chronicling our family's fun at www.travelingmel.com and on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/travelingmel